Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income): Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) was 72.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) recorded 72.9% for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) peaked at 80.6% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 72.7%, in 2020.
That places East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 80.6% | — |
| 1991 | 80.3% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 79.9% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 79.5% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 79.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 79.0% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 78.6% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 78.2% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 77.8% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 77.4% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 77.0% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 76.9% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 76.5% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 76.3% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 76.1% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 75.8% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 75.6% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 75.7% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 75.5% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 75.3% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 75.2% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 75.4% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 75.2% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 74.8% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 74.7% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 74.6% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 74.4% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 74.1% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 74.2% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 74.1% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 72.7% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 73.6% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 73.4% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 73.7% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 73.2% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 72.9% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79.1% | 77.4% | 80.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.1% | 75.3% | 77.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.7% | 74.1% | 75.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.3% | 72.7% | 73.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- 8 Tanzania, United Republic of 85.0% compare
- 9 Switzerland 84.0% compare
- 10 Sweden 83.9% compare
- 11 Nigeria 83.3% compare
- 12 Bahamas 82.9% compare
- 13 New Zealand 82.6% compare
- 14 Japan 82.3% compare
More work & labour data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 72.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 46.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 43.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 58.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 80.8% (2025)
- Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) 22.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) was 72.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 80.6% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.7% in 2020.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages)?
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.